Ciruelo - surf spot statistics

Best Surf Season (April - November)

Ciruelo hits its stride from April through November, when the dominant swell shifts to the optimal southern quadrants and the Pacific storm track delivers consistent, long-period groundswells. During these months, the swell window remains wide open to the S, SSW, SW, and WSW, generating waves that wrap directly into the beach with power and shape. The average wave period climbs into the 13-14 second range, ensuring clean, punchy lines on the 1-1.5m fun-sized faces that dominate the charts. Wind patterns become lighter and more variable, but still manage to blow offshore from the north or northwest a solid 50-70% of the time, especially during morning hours. This is the prime window for surfing at Ciruelo.

Fair Surf Season (December & March)

December and March offer a mixed bag. December boasts the highest percentage of ideal wind (80%), with strong offshore flow from N and NNW, but the swell direction is split between northern and southern sources. Only about half the waves arrive from the favorable SSW-SW quadrant, while the rest come from north of west—these wrap in but lack the same punch. March sees a nice bump in SSW swell (38% of total) and long periods (12.4s average), but wind quality drops to 54% ideal, with more frequent onshore afternoon breezes. Both months can still produce memorable sessions when the right combination aligns.

Low Surf Season (January & February)

January and February represent the weakest period for Ciruelo. The swell is dominated by north-northwest and north-northeast directions, which sit outside the optimal entry window. Only about a quarter to a third of the waves come from the preferred S through WSW directions, and these are mostly small, averaging 1.1m with periods dropping to 9-10 seconds. Although offshore winds from the N and NNE are frequent (60+% of the time), the lack of quality swell makes for small, weak surf that rarely exceeds 1.5m. It’s a time for smaller boards and patience, or for exploring other breaks.

December: Offshore Paradise, Mixed Swell

December is the month with the highest wind ideal percentage at 80%. The offshore flow from N, NNE, and NNW is dominant, with N alone at 36.4% and NNW at 21.7%—both blowing directly offshore for Ciruelo. This creates pristine, glassy conditions day after day. The trade-off is swell direction: only 38% from the optimal S-SSW-SW-WSW window. The rest comes from N (5.4%), NNE (7.1%), NW (7.2%), and NNW (13.1%), which wrap in but lack the same quality. Average wave period drops to 10.3 seconds, and heights are mostly 0.5-1m (27%) and 1-1.5m (11% from optimal sources). The plus side: when a southern swell sneaks in—often from a storm in the South Pacific gyre—the offshore winds groom it into perfection. December is a month of high variability: lots of clean but small days, and occasional pumping sessions when the swell angle aligns. It’s a period of patience and high reward for those who time it right.